Alumobility points to Genesis model for aluminum body panel use

The Zurich-based organization Alumobility says it has worked with the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre to prepare a study designed to show the advantages Hyundai could achieve by using aluminum body panels in its Genesis GV70EV model.

Alumobility, which refers to itself as a global association committed to advancing the adoption of aluminum in the automotive industry, will present a new study titled “Technical Case Study: A Vehicle Conversion of the Genesis GV70EV from a Steel intensive Body to an Aluminum Design” later in October at a conference in Germany.

The scope of the study focused on theoretically converting the existing steel-intensive body structure of the production Genesis GV70 electric vehicle (EV) made by South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. to all aluminum. That switch would result in a 40 percent weight savings “while also maintaining attributes for safety and body stiffness,” according to the study’s authors.

Those same authors, Mark White and Thorolf Schulte of Alumobility and Stephane Ringenbach and Andrew Vaughan of the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center, say the project also found that aluminum-intensive vehicles “offer potential opportunities for manufacturing by reducing the number of parts, joint types and total joint count.”

“Our number one goal is to share the benefits of aluminum automotive technology to advance aluminum as the material of choice for vehicle bodies,” says White.

An increase in the use of aluminum body panels in the auto sector would have considerable ripple effects in both the aluminum and steel sectors, as well as for auto dismantlers and shredding plant operators.

The presentation will take place at an event called EuroCarBody’s 25th Global Car Body Benchmarking Conference, which is in Bad Nauheim, Germany, Oct. 17-19.

“Conferences such as EuroCarBody create an opportunity for knowledge sharing and technical discussions with automotive design experts, which are critical to achieving our mission,” adds White.